.:THE PURPOSE OF LIFE QUESTIONS ANSWERED – Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity

WHO ARE WE? WHERE DID WE COME FROM?

MORMONISM’S ANSWER

BIBLICAL ANSWER

The spirit of Adam and the spirits of all other humans were not created on earth or in the womb, but rather, were begotten in a spirit world to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Adam’s fall was a necessary step to procreate children.

“The doctrine of the pre-existence … shows that man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality.” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, vol. 4, 1992, p. 1668)
“By definition, exaltation includes the ability to procreate the family unit throughout eternity. This our Father in heaven has power to do. His marriage partner is our mother in heaven. We are their spirit children, born to them in the bonds of celestial marriage … GOD WAS ONCE A MORTAL MAN.” (Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, p. 129)
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man … you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345)
“In Joseph Smith’s philosophy of existence Adam and Eve were raised to a foremost place among the children of men, second only to the Savior. Their act was to be acclaimed … The so-called ‘fall’ became a necessary, honorable act in carrying out the plan of the Almighty.” (John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith—Seeker After Truth, 1951, p. 160)

We are children of Adam and Eve, created in God’s image as His special creation, but cursed because of the sin of Adam and Eve. God is a Spirit and not an exalted man. Human spirits were not begotten in a pre-existent, pre-mortal life.

God made men and women in His image as His special creation (Genesis 1:26-27). Mankind did not pre-exist as “spirits” prior to creation on this earth (1 Corinthians 15:46).
God’s image is a spiritual “image,” not a physical human body (Colossians 3:10; John 4:24; Hosea 11:9; Num. 23:19; Romans 1:22-23).
God formed the physical body of Adam (the first man) from the dust of the earth, and He created Adam’s spirit by breathing the breath of life into his nostrils (Genesis 2:7). God made the first woman from a rib that He had taken out of Adam (Genesis 2:21-23).
God is the “father of spirits” (Hebrews 12:9) only in the sense that He is the Creator of each human spirit during the physical development of the human body in the womb (Zechariah 12:1). Unlike Jesus Who (because He is God), pre-existed prior to the creation of His human body, all other human spirits have their origin in the womb, not in a pre-existent, spirit world as Mormonism teaches (John 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:46; Genesis 2:7).
When Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command not to eat of the forbidden fruit, mankind fell physically and spiritually (Genesis 3). All creation is under the curse caused from mankind’s sin of disobedience against God (Romans 5:12-14; 8:19-23).

WHY ARE WE HERE?

MORMONISM’S ANSWER

BIBLICAL ANSWER

Our spirits were sent to earth to obtain physical human bodies (tabernacles), which this religion claims is a requirement for mankind to be “exalted” as a “god” like Heavenly Father. Mortal probation (earthly life) is a process of physical training and development to attain “perfection” as a “god.”

“Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, has given us our map — a code of laws and commandments whereby we might attain perfection and, eventually, godhood … Men came to earth consciously to obtain their schooling, their training and development, and to perfect themselves.” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 6-7)
“It is absolutely necessary that we should come to the earth and take upon us tabernacles; because if we did not have tabernacles we could not be like God, nor like Jesus Christ. God has a tabernacle of flesh and bone. … We must go through the same ordeal in order to attain to the glory and exaltation which God designed we should enjoy with him in the eternal worlds.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 64)

We were born here on earth to glorify and worship God, to care for His creation, to proclaim His salvation, and to glorify Him with our lives as He conforms us to His image.

We are to mirror the image of God to creation in the way that we rule over creation, keep ourselves pure, and populate the earth (Genesis 1:27-28; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Psalm 139:13-16).
We are to worship God, giving thanks in all things in the midst of the blessings and trials that He brings into our lives to build our character and to conform us to the image of Christ (Philippians 2:14-15; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
We are “ambassadors” for God in proclaiming reconciliation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
We are here to defend and contend for the true gospel that was not lost from the earth (Jude 3; Matthew 16:18). We expose counterfeits like Mormonism and its claim that men can become “gods.” This doctrine is a lie that originated with Satan in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 14:12-14; Ephesians 5:11).

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

MORMONISM’S ANSWER

BIBLICAL ANSWER

After death, we go immediately to Paradise to await judgment to inherit one of three Kingdoms (Celestial, Terrestrial, or the Telestial Kingdom) or we go to a temporary Hell (Spirit-Prison) to be punished for sin and to learn the Mormon gospel in order to inherit the Telestial Kingdom.

“Celestial … Those who inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, who become gods, must also have been married for eternity in the temple … All … will live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ forever.” (Gospel Principles, 1995 ed., p. 297)
“Terrestrial These are they who rejected the gospel on earth but afterward received it in the spirit world. These are the honorable people on the earth … They will be visited by Jesus Christ but not by our Heavenly Father.” (Gospel Principles, p. 297-298)
“In the spirit prison are those who rejected the gospel after it was preached to them … These spirits suffer in a condition known as hell … After suffering in full for their sins, they will be allowed to inherit the lowest degree of glory, which is the telestial kingdom.” (Gospel Principles, p. 292)

Unlike Mormonism, there is not a second chance to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ after death. Once dead, we are judged on the basis of whether we had personally accepted the pardon for sins offered in the blood of Jesus Christ. Those who had accepted Jesus in mortality will inherit Heaven for eternity. Those who rejected Him will inherit eternal punishment in Hell.

After death we face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
All will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-31; Revelation 20:11-15).
Those who receive Heaven are the ones who “obeyed” Jesus Christ (John 3:36) by accepting the “work” of faith alone in Christ (John 6:29; Romans 11:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9).
“Many” will go to eternal destruction in Hell because they chose to pay for their own sins by relying on their own good works (“filthy rags” of pride), which are an unacceptable offering to God (Matthew 7:13-14; James 2:10; Romans 3:10, 23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 5:4; Isaiah 64:6).

THE MORMON GOSPEL VS. THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL

MORMON GOSPEL	BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN GOSPEL
“We labor diligently to write, to persuade … to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23)	“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins … no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven… Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.” (Alma 11:37)	“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:7)	“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities … As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10, 12)